Cycle timer



F- S. MILLER Aug. 25, 1970 CYCLE TIMER Filed 0ct. 30, 1968 INVENTOR.

FRED/WC SM/ZLEE BY W WW ATTQRIVEY 3,525,829 Patented Aug. 25, 1970 3,525,829 CYCLE TIMER Fredric S. Miller, Mayfair Ave., Wayne, NJ. 07470 Filed Oct. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 771,715 Int. Cl. H01h 43/10 US. Cl. 200-38 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continually rotating disc provided with a plurality of pins arranged circumferentially around the center of rotation of the disc, and a flexible strip interwoven around the pins and between the spaces therebetween so that spaced portions of the strip are trained over and radially outward of the pins and the portions in between are radially inward, the outward strip portions, during rotation of the disc, being adapted to engage and actuate an electric switch which remains unactuated when the same is engaged with the inbetween pins of the disc. The duration of the periods of switch actuation depending on the regularity of the arrangement of the strip relative to the pins.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Cycle timing for switches and other control components, as valves, has a wide field of use for controlling flowing, heating, on-and-olf mechanisms and apparatuses. Changes in the frequency and character of such timing frequently is necessary. The ease, facility and nicety of said changes are desired characteristics of cycle timers. The ab ve attributes are deemed to be present in the timer di"closed in this application.

Applicant knows of no cycle timer based on the present principles of operation, a comprehensive search failing to reveal art of sufficient comparability in structure and function to the timer herein to require discussing the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is especially characterized by the following attributes:

(a) Flexibility in use.Ability to readily divide the circumference of a rotational disc unit into one or more subcycles, regular or irregular of duration, as desired, the unit being so formed as to have the effect of a cam whose configuration may be changed at will;

(b) Ease of changing duration and spacing of the subcycles.Simply by changing the interweave of the strip with the pins; and

(c) Simplicity of manufacture and user-The disc, together with its pins, may be advantageously molded of a suitably high impact plastic, as an integral element. The same may be formed of metal, in which case the pins may be set into the disc by press fit.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cycle timer having a rotational disc assembly with the above-listed characteristics. 1 This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a face view of a cycle timer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, as taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of disc assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The cycle timer that is illustrated comprises, generally, a support member 5 mounting a control component 6 herein shown as an electric switch, a cycle-timing disc assembly 7 operatively engaging said control component, and means 8 to rotate said disc assembly either at a uniformly constant or variable rate, as desired.

The support member 5 is shown as a bracket having a wall 10 that mounts the control component 6 on one side and the means 8 on the opposite side.

The switch 6 (control component) is preferably of the type known as a microswitch, the contact across the terminals 11 thereof being controlled by a button 12 that is depressed by movement of an actuator arm 13 with a roller 14 on the end thereof. Such a switch may be of the normally-closed or normally-open type. Therefore, actuation of the arm 13 will open or close the switch accordingly. The analogy between such a switch and a valve or Other .device that may be open when normally closed, or closed when normally open, should be clear, as will be the term control component as being generic to such devices.

The means 8 is shown as an electric motor that has an output or driven shaft 15 that extends normally to the bracket wall 10.

The disc assembly 7 is mounted on said shaft, the same, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprising a disc 16 with a central hub 17 into which said shaft 15 extends and to which the disc is removably aifixed by a set screw 18. A plate 19 on said disc has an annular shoulder 20 from which an offset annular flange 22 extends. A complement of pins 23 extend from this flange in spaced relation to said shoulder 20' and parallel thereto. As shown, said pins are preferably uniformly spaced apart, such spaces being indicated at 24, although the uniformity of their spacing may be varied as desired.

The disc assembly 7 includes the flexible strip 25 of a thickness to pass between the shoulder 20 and the pins 23 and through the spaces 24 between the pins. Said strip may or may not be metallic, but is preferably nonrnetallic, either rubber, plastic, or other suitable flexible composition.

The relationship of the periphery of the disc assembly 7 to the actuator roller 14 is such, as is shown, that either the pins 23 or the portions of the strip 25 that are trained around the outsides of said pins are engaged by said roller. It will be clear that the additional thickness of the strip 25 that is interposed between said pins 23 and the roller 14 will, as the assembly is rotated by the motor 8, cause greater movement of the actuator arm 13 than when said roller 14 is in direct contact with the pins. Such increased actuation movement of the arm 13 will cause the switch to open if normally closed, or close if normally open, the usual return spring of said switch returning the switch to normal condition when the roller 14 has direct engagement with the pins 23 or in any case is not in register with any outside portion of the strip.

FIG. 1 shows the strip 25 variously interwoven among the pins with differently spaced portions of the strip engaging the switch actuator as the assembly rotates. Also, this view shows the actuator portion of the strip varying in circumferential extent. Thus, it will be clear that the full cycle, represented by the total circumference of the disc, may be divided into a great variety of switchactuating portions, of varying extent and circumferential spacing.

The pins may be numbered or otherwise coded so the subcycle arrangement can easily be effected.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 3, the pins 23a are shown as extending radially from the peripheral edge 20a of the disc 7a, and the strip 25a as interwoven with said pins so the outwardly trained, actuator-engaging portions of said strip have an approximately coplanar relation to the plate 19a of the disc. This arrangement will require that the control component 6 be placed above or below the disc, thereby providing a more compact arrangement than the arrangement of FIG. 1.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what are now contemplated to be the best modes of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A cycle timer comprising:

(a) a rotatable member mounted on an axis of rotation,

(b) a complement of circumferentially spaced pins on said member circumferentially arranged around said axis as a center, and

(c) a flexible strip adapted to be variously interwoven among the pins to present portions thereof on one side of the pins and of varying circumferential extent according to the manner of interweave of the strip, the remaining portions of the strip being disposed on the opposite side of the said pins,

(d) said first-mentioned portions of the strip being adapted to engage the actuator of a control component and, during movement of the rotatable member, alternately engaging and moving and then releasing said actuator of the control component for periods of various duration according to the manner and variety of circumferential extent of said firstmentioned portions of the strip.

2. A cycle timer according to claim 1 in which the pins are disposed adjacent to the peripheral edge of the rotatable member and parallel to said axis.

3. A cycle timer as defined in claim 1 and in which the rotatable member is provided with an annular shoulder, the complement of pins being radially spaced from said shoulder.

4. A cycle timer according to claim 1 in which the pins are radially directed from a peripheral edge of the rotatable member.

5. A cycletimer as defined in claim 1, further comprising a uniformly operating drive unit having a driven shaft, the rotatable member being mounted on said shaft and uniformly rotated thereby.

6. A cycle timer comprising:

(a) a movable member provided with a plurality of spaced projections, and

(b) a strip of flexible material having portions thereof introduced variously in the spaces among the projections to present said strip portions on one side of the projections of varying linear extent according to the manner of introduction of the strip portions,

(c) said portions of the strip being adapted to engage the actuator of a control component and, during movement of the mentioned member, alternately engaging and releasing said actuator for periods of varying duration according to the linear extent of said strip portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,748,619 6/ 1956 Glover et al.

2,844,670 7/ 1958 Witte.

2,874,239 2/ 1959 Doneit.

3,101,435 8/ 1963 Welch et al.

3,217,560 11/1965 Garkin et al.

3,267,767 8/ 1966 Neal.

3,330,917 7/1967 Grundfest.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,067,425 7 5/ 1967 Great Britain.

HERMAN 0. JONES, Primary Examiner us. or. X.R. 

